Shotgun now legally acceptable home defence?

"If you burgle a house in the country where the householder owns a legally held shotgun, that is the chance you take."

Judge Michael Pert, QC

This statement, combined with the absence of prosecution of the householders once the facts had been established; does this usher in a new era of increased power to honest people against pilfering scum?

Or does it give a green light to vigilantésque homeowners tooling themselves up within their fortress homes; trespassers will be shot, survivors shot again.

Has anything changed? It feels like it has, although I understand that legally at least, it hasn't. Or has it?

A person has the right to pro-actively defend themselves (i.e. strike first if an attack is suspected). You may use what is to hand as a weapon.

If you find someone in your house, you could be forgiven for thinking that they are there to murder you, rape your wife and/or children...who knows, are you going to risk it? No, so we have established you now have the right to attack the intruder (as many have done using various weapons including knives and swords). If your LEGALLY OWNED firearm/shotgun is to hand , you don't have to unload it, lock it away, and then find another less lethal weapon...you use it because it is what you have.

I'm not sure that this verdict is saying you can kill to protect your property. The burglar was reaching into the knife drawer when the guy shot him. There's scope for a 'in fear for his/his wife's life' there, if the perceived threat is sufficent and imminent. I can't see the CPS letting someone away with shooting someone for stealing when there's no risk of harm to anyone.

Maybe house robbers should sign something legal upfront to the effect that they promise not to hurt anyone they may disturb during the robbery?
That way householders can sleep easy in the knowledge that they'll never be scared into defending themselves.

I suspect someone will take the Tucker approach in future and get it wrong and end up like Tony Martin.

I also expect that the householder will lose his shotgun licence if he is shown to keep it unsecured overnight. They are supposed to be secured and unloaded when not in use from my understanding of firearms law.

If my second point is correct he's up shit-creek without a paddle when the scrotes get out and decide to come a calling again, or his mates in the interim.

if the perceived threat is sufficent and imminent. I can't see the CPS letting someone away with shooting someone for stealing when there's no risk of harm to anyone.

I'm fairly sure that uninvited men in my house whilst I'm sleeping would pretty much cover those bases. Knife drawer or not, terrifying. I'd like to think in that situation I'd shout a warning and the intruders would run away. But I'd really want the (perceived) reassurance of a loaded twelve bore in my hands just in case they turn out to be cocky twunts...

It's hard to say for certain, but I'm 99% that I would shoot (maybe kneecaps ;-)) some intruder in my house in the dead of night, I don't care what his intentions are - mine are to protect Mrs and Baby Wilko. One things for sure though, by the time I'd dug out the keys to my shotgun cabinet, got out a 12 bore, grabbed a box of cartridges and loaded 2, they'd have nicked all my electrical equipment and sold it on.

This statement, combined with the absence of prosecution of the householders once the facts had been established; does this usher in a new era of increased power to honest people against pilfering scum?

Or will it mean the pilfering scum will come tooled up and possibly shoot first?

My mate has always said if anyone broke into his house and entered intending to steal or cause harm to himself or his partner that he'd have absolutely no qualms about removing one of his shotguns or rifles from the cabinet and using it, as long as the person was advancing towards him that is - anything else and he wouldn't get away with it.

He does stay in a big victorian country house with a long access road and in a very isolated position, fully alarmed house with window bars on the lower basement section of the house so if anyone managed to get through all that i guess they are determined to break in and fully deserve what's coming, which would be 3 pointers and 2 daft spaniels creating merry hell. Knowing him i guess he wouldn't shoot to maim either, brought up in Ireland in the 1970's and early 80's before he moved out of the trouble to London in his early 20's to make his fortune so to speak, from what scant info i've been told regarding growing up in Ireland round about that time it was brutal and seemingly random inhuman violence with indiscriminate kneecappings for petty misdemeanours, vicious beatings from so called terrorist organisations along with similar from the police/army and bodies dumped at the side of the road as a warning were commonplace so hell mend anyone who tries to take what's his nowadays. He was taken aside a few times for daring to go out with a Catholic girl and beaten rather badly, and had to watch as the provo's kneecapped his mate for working with a Catholic building firm, the violence was too much so that's why the pair of them left Ireland to go to London and are still together today.

It's hard to imagine that was only 30 odd years ago, despite what they say it still goes on to a similar but not as explicit extent nowadays, kneecappings and beatings along with extortion are still commonplace but we never hear about it.

For what's it's worth a few years ago i/we caught someone in my house trying to get out my bedroom window, we heard a commotion in the bedroom after coming home late from the pub one night and i ran through to see this little scrote trying to climb out through my window... I'm not saying what happened to him but he fully deserved what he got and i'd have absolutely no second thoughts about doing similar today if i found someone in my home or attempting to break in.